The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to a method of transplanting cells into the nasal cavity and, more particularly, but not exclusively, into the paranasal sinuses (PNS), and into the subarachnoid cavity.
Cell therapy is one of the most promising future techniques in the medical arsenal for the repair of damaged or destroyed tissue and/or for the replacement of dysfunctional cells. The diseases which cell therapy can target are very varied: Hormonal dysfunction, such as diabetes and growth hormone deficiency; neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Huntington's; and cardiovascular lesions, such as myocardial infarction, peripheral vascular ischaemia; as well as lesions in the cornea, skeletal muscle, skin, joints and bones etc. The objective of cell therapy is to restore the lost function rather than produce a new organ, which could cause duplicity and undesirable effects. Several resources of cells can be used to restore the damaged tissue, such as donor cells from human cadavers, resident stem cells, multipotent adult progenitor cells or embryonic stem cells.
Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) as well as Type 2 (T2DM) are both diseases resulting from pancreatic islets dysfunction and insulin dependency. Islet transplantation is a potential successful treatment for T1DM patients and a subgroup of patients with T2DM. Currently, clinical trials in humans such as the “Edmonton protocol” show that long-term outcomes of islet transplantation into the liver are hampered by a gradual decrease in islet function occurring during the early post transplantation period. The dramatic initial loss of islets is believed to be related to hypoxia at the transplantation site. In addition, the liver site requires an immunosuppressive therapy and is associated with procedure-related complications, including haemorrhage and thrombosis. The spleen, eye, brain, thymus, testes, pancreas, kidney capsule, peritoneum, bone morrow, lung, subcutis, muscle and omental pouch have been explored as potential sites for islet transplantation. Currently, experimental islet transplantations in these sites are hampered by insufficient oxygenation, immune rejection, limited space and complicated surgical procedure (Shapiro A J et al, Curr Diab Rep. 2011; 11(5):345-54; Merani et al., Br J Surg. 2008; 95(12):1449-61).
Firouzi M et al., Neurosci Lett. 2006 Jul. 10; 402(1-2):66-70, teaches transplantation of Schwann cells into the subarachnoid cavity.